We had the honor to interview Mia Dimšić, who has just released a new album – “Monoloogue“.
This isn’t her first album, but definitely the first one in English.
This is our second interview with Mia, as the first one was held before Eurovision 2022
You can listen to the album here:
Mia, welcome to ESCBEAT and congrats on the new album
Thanks for having me!
1. What led you to release your first English album “Monologue“?
It was my long-time wish to have an album in English as well, but there was never enough time to fully devote myself to writing and creating the songs until 2021 and the overall closing down due to the pandemic. Looking back, I am now grateful that everything happened the way it happened for I finally had enough focus to delve into the process of writing in English. The next unexpected turn was winning my national final with the song Guilty Pleasure and going to Eurovision in 2022. It opened up a whole new world of fans, media, and altogether inspiring circumstances so it was an even bigger motivation to get into the studio ASAP and begin working on the final versions of the tracks. I am super excited that it’s out and every stream and comment means the world to me.
2. Can you tell us about the creation process of the album? What about your partners in the process? What kind of Monologue would you like to carry these days?
Ever since I stepped onto the music scene in late 2015, my co-writers have been Damir Bačić and Vjekoslav Dimter and we’ve worked with various producers as well. The process of creation is always different, but for this album ideas would mostly come to me when I’d be by myself, chilling or playing an instrument, and then we would later rework them in the studio. Some songs were recorded super fast, whereas for some there were various versions before we figured out what the final sound was supposed to be. Every track on the album is my little monologue or lament on love, relationships, dreams, emotions, or just awkward situations I found myself in. The idea behind all of these monologues is that telling these stories out loud is a very healing process. We are all so similar deep down, we all carry with us complicated feelings we sometimes don’t know how to deal with and we relate to one another in fascinating ways.
3. Watching some of the video clips, one can get the impression of a cyclic story, conveyed by an intimate atmosphere and furniture like chairs and a lamp. Has it been part of the idea? If so, why?
All of the visualizers were produced by Iva Čaisa and the idea was to make the setting simple and exposed to emphasize the storyline of each song. We played with the light, outfits and scenographic details but I wanted the main focus to be on lyrics because this is a very lyrically-oriented album.
4. “As I Watch You Sleep” showcases strength through determination and fragility. Can you tell us the story behind the song?
The inspiration behind the song was a sentence I heard in a TV show a long time ago. It said: “You know you love someone when you can spend the entire night just sitting by the fire watching them sleep”. It kind of stayed with me for many years and I thought about how there is only so many things more intimate than sleeping next to someone and following their breath and the rising and falling of their chest. The song portrays a moment when that happens with someone for the first time and it makes you question everything you thought mattered in your life up to that point. It’s one of my favorites on the album.
5. Listening to “Question in The Air“, we can’t resist the Balkan-oriented sound, rising from the guitar and string elements. Can you tell us about the creation process of this song?
I am really glad it shows because it was so much fun writing the melody for that one, and I love what the producer Bojan Šalamon–Shalla did with it in the studio. I vividly remember that the beginning of the verse melody came to me as I was ironing my clothes. I think it was Sunday, and the reason I remember it so well was the long period of a very irritating writer’s block preceding it. I immediately recorded myself humming and in the course of the next week figured out that I wanted it to be a nostalgic song about regret and coming back to your hometown where everything seems to remind you of that person from the past. Wherever there’s nostalgia, the Balkan spirit fits the song perfectly.
6. Let’s talk about “Up and Down“, there is something theatrical about this song, especially the interpretation. How have you felt recording this song, which is a bit different from your usual style?
One of my collaborators Vjeko Dimter wrote the melody in 2019 and we also have a Croatian version of it called „Unatrag“ featured on my last album „Sretan put“. It was a very unusual style for me even back then, but all of my friends and family would remember it very quickly after listening to it, so that was a really good sign and I decided to try and sing it. Later it even got some momentum in some parts of Asia when a choreographer from Texas somehow found it online and made a line dance choreo for it so a lot of dance ensembles in various parts of Asia recorded it and put it on their YouTube channels. There is something very catchy and vibrant about it so we decided to re-release it on Monologue as well.
7. Last month, you also released the song “Bejbe” in the Croatian language.
The song isn’t part of “Monologue”. Can we expect the next album to be in Croatia? Can you tell us about the message behind the song?
Yes, “Bejbe” is my latest Croatian single and I’m very proud of it. For me, it’s a song about accepting yourself for who you are and deciding to be vulnerable even though the world might see it as an invitation to hurt you. I believe vulnerability always wins in the long run because that kind of attitude clearly states: „I can lower my guard because there is nothing to guard myself against in the first place.“ The song will be one of the tracks on my upcoming Croatian album which I’m expecting to be out sometime next spring. I am looking forward to sharing some new music with the listeners!
8. How would you summarize your Eurovision experience? What have been the reactions you have received since your participation? Have you made friends on your journey to Turin?
My Eurovision experience was unforgettable and I feel like it upgraded me so much both as a person and as an artist. The best part was undoubtedly meeting the fans and other artists. I am still occasionally in touch with We are Domi (I recently caught up with them in Prague), Rosa Linn and her manager Mariam, Malik Harris, Maro, Konstrakta, and Vladana… and I am sure our paths will be crossing a lot in the future as well. All of them inspired me in their own unique way with their originality, work ethic and kindness in general. There were various reactions from all over the world after I performed Guilty Pleasure and all of that motivated me even more to keep on writing in English and put out the album Monologue.
9. What advice would you give to any artist who considers participating in Eurovision?
I would advise them to listen to themselves and their intuition first and foremost because no expert on any musical or stage matter will ever know better than them how they feel up on stage and what works best for them. Also, they should not forget to have fun despite all the pressure. It goes by so fast and you will regret having spent what can be the absolute best time of your life stressing yourself out.
10. Can you name any Croatian artist you would like to see at “Dora” or Eurovision?
Absolutely! A lot of them in fact so it’s hard to just name one. I am sure my good friend Marko Tolja would stand out in Eurovision because we call him our Michael Buble or Frank Sinatra, so he could bring a gist of old times on that stage and enchant everyone with his beautiful vocals and piano skills.
11. Have you experienced any transformation as an artist (both singer and songwriter) since Eurovision 22?
I would say that I did. I became more confident on stage, changed my dressing style a bit, also fell more in love than ever with pop sounds in my music and I feel like a lot of those subtle changes can be heard on my new album as well. Also, I think I became braver lyrically. I will now basically say whatever I want and not care if that sounds awkward to the recipient if that is my current reality of life.
12. Would you be touring performing songs from your new album?
Sure, my first big concert in Zagreb will take place in about a week, and I will go on to present the album on a Christmas tour in Croatia, ending with a concert in my hometown Osijek on December 31st. After that, I plan to try and schedule promo dates outside of my region as well to promote Monologue to some brand new audiences.
13. Would you consider participating again in Dora/Eurovision? If so, which kind of song would you submit?
Right now that option is not on my mind, but never say never, life can surprise us. If I went one more time, I’d probably go with something vulnerable and exposed, possibly alone with my guitar with some gentle lighting and a minimalistic stage.
Last but not least: Here is Mia’s message to our followers:
Thank you Mia for wonderful interview.